Chapter 14: Family Event
Moana

“I’ll pay.”

Ella and I were both shocked when we turned around to see Edrick standing there, credit card in hand, his face covered by sunglasses and a surgical mask.

“Daddy!” Ella exclaimed.

Edrick handed the ice cream salesman his credit card and ruffled Ella’s hair. “Eat your ice cream before it melts,” he said, guiding us away from the stand and the people behind us who were getting quickly annoyed at us for holding up the line to get ice cream.

“I thought you had to work,” Ella said.

“I decided to come home early so I could spend your birthday with you after all,” Edrick replied. “But you weren’t home. Selina told me that you went on an outing…” I couldn’t see his eyes through his sunglasses, but the way his head slowly turned toward me told me everything I needed to know.

down at my rapidly-melting ice cream. We approached a bench and Edrick instructed Ella to sit while she finished her ice cream, then he stood next to me and lowered his voice while she happily swung her legs and got ice cream

no

honest mistake,” I replied. “I haven’t had to take out money in a while. And besides, the driver is close;

had been listening the entire time, suddenly jumped up

afraid that her father would make her go home, and Edrick’s

know, sweetheart,” he said. “It’s really not safe for us to be out in

it’s my birthday,” she whined. “You never want to

“Let

a deep sigh and crouching to wipe the ice cream

two of us. As we spent the afternoon walking around the theme park, I couldn’t help but take out my phone to secretly snap some sweet pictures of Ella and Edrick together. It was so sweet watching them play games together, and seeing Ella sitting on Edrick’s shoulders while we walked that I couldn’t help myself. Edrick didn’t seem to mind the photos, either, although I wondered why he was so adamant on keeping his mask on; would he really want to look

Ella, however, still had just as much energy, and insisted on one more ride before we went home. I suggested the ferris wheel because it was slow and relaxing, and

As we started to go up, now that we were safe from prying eyes, Edrick took off his sunglasses to reveal steely gray eyes that appeared surprisingly happy for the

billionaire needed a fun outing just as much as

in the hot summer breeze, and the way that the string lights lit up the park below us, made the city feel

from me to see Ella giggling and peering out over the crowd. And behind her, her father wasn’t looking at the

was looking at

quickly, as though he had only glanced at me on accident. Soon,

out. Edrick put his mask back on then got out with Ella in one of his arms. Then, he turned around and held out

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